After an extensive national search and recruitment effort, the governing board of Washington Policy Center (WPC), the state’s premier free-market think tank, has named Michael D. Gallagher the organization’s new CEO and president. Gallagher was an assistant secretary of Commerce for Telecommunications and Information for the George W. Bush administration. He then served 11 years as president & CEO of the Washington, D.C.,-based Entertainment Software Association (ESA).
“We were looking for someone with the experience and vision to take WPC to a new level,” said Mark Pinkowski, WPC Board Chairman. “And you can’t meet Mike without being impressed. His incredible success in industry and expertise in government, combined with his energy, drive and optimism, make the perfect combination. We can’t wait to see what he will do for Washington.”
While leading ESA, Gallagher built broad bipartisan support for the industry across the U.S., working with champions of the industry in state legislatures, the United States Congress, in the White House and in the media. During his tenure, Gallagher restored the industry’s trade show, E3, to global prominence, worked with leaders across the entertainment industry to prevail in the association’s signature Supreme Court victory in 2011, and partnered with other leading organizations, including AARP, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and Sesame Street to elevate the profile of the dynamic video game industry. For the past three years, Gallagher has advised a portfolio of early-stage technology companies as CEO of Intrepidity, the investment consulting firm he founded.
“I am honored to serve as the next CEO of the Washington Policy Center,” Gallagher said. “Washington Policy Center is acknowledged as not only the leading free-market think tank in Washington State, but among the top engines of free market ideals nationally. I look forward to adding my global, state, and federal policy experience to the work WPC does for the people of Washington State.”
Taking the reins at WPC marks a return to the state of Washington for the Gallagher family. Two of his children were born in Washington and he served Congressman Rick White as his chief of staff.
“On a personal level, it is fantastic to return to our roots in Washington state,” said Gallagher. “It was policy that took us from the state to serve Congressman Rick White in 1994, and to serve as Assistant Secretary in the Commerce Department for President Bush – and it is policy that leads us back to the state today.”
Washington Policy Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving lives through free market solutions.
